Soccer: Juventus insist title race is not over yet

Champions moved eight points clear with 3-0 win over Roma

(ANSA) - Rome, January 7 - Juventus have insisted they do
not consider the Serie A title race already in the bag after
they moved eight points clear at the top of the table with
Sunday's 3-0 drubbing of second-placed AS Roma.

Goals by Arturo Vidal, Leonardo Bonucci and Mirko Vucinic
enabled the reigning champions to hand Roma their first defeat
of the season.

Roma, who had led the standings by five points after
setting a new record for the best start to a Serie A season by
winning their first 10 games, ended the game in nine men as
midfielder Daniele De Rossi and Brazilian defender Leandro
Castan were both sent off.

"The eight-point gap is important but we can't afford to
let it deceive us and lose concentration," said Juve coach
Antonio Conte.

"Anything is still possible, just look at how we've made up
13 points on Roma".

Juve have piled up a massive total of 49 points, winning
all but two of the 18 matches disputed so far and all of their
last 10, with one game to go to the season's half-way mark.

Roma's French coach Rudi Garcia, who has transformed the
Giallorossi since arriving in the close season following several
disappointing campaigns, agreed that there was a long way to go.

But he was also coy about his side's championship
ambitions.

"We have to push on and get back to winning ways as quickly
as possible," said Garcia.

"There are another 60 points to play for before the season
is out so the league is not over.
"But, as I've said lots of times, our target was never to
win the title, but to get back into Europe (next season)".

Brazil playmaker Kaka scored his 100th and 101st goals to
help struggling AC Milan beat Atalanta 3-0 on Monday.
Seven-time European champions Milan are 11th with 22
points, 27 behind Juve.
Lazio defeated Inter Milan 1-0 thanks to a Miroslav Klose
volley to give Edy Reja a winning start to his second stint as
their coach.